Alaska Fishermen Face Charges for Illegal Halibut Harvest

JUNEAU, Alaska – Five commercial fishermen from southeast Alaska face federal charges after a grand jury indicted them for conspiring to illegally harvest halibut. Jonathan Pavlik, 43, of Yakutat, along with Vincent Jacobson, 51, Kyle Dierick, 36, and Michael Babic, 42, each from Yakutat, plus Timothy Ross, 58, of Washington, are accused of orchestrating the illegal catch between 2019 and 2023.

Court documents detail a complex scheme where the defendants landed halibut without being aboard their vessels during fishing trips, in clear violation of federal regulations. They also falsely reported that the fish was creditable to their Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) permits, leading to over 10,700 pounds of illegal harvest.

Jonathan Pavlik stands accused of selling nearly 9,600 pounds of halibut caught on F/V Bad Intentions but transferred to F/V New Era before landing. The charges against Pavlik include four counts of Lacey Act conspiracy, five counts of unlawful sale, and five counts of false labeling. His co-conspirators face one count each.

The defendants are set to appear in court over the next two weeks, facing up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 per charge if convicted. The investigation is led by the NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Law Enforcement, Alaska Division, with assistance from the Alaska Wildlife Troopers.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth Brickey and Mac Caille Petursson are prosecuting the case. The U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska and Assistant Director Benjamin Cheeseman of NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Law Enforcement announced the charges, emphasizing that an indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.